This week was a big week for us.  I went back to work.  It was a nice progression back into work though.  We had fall break on Monday and Tuesday so I technically didn’t start back until Wednesday and then I only went in that first day for a couple hour-long meetings.  The next two days I was so busy that there wasn’t much time to think about anything else.  The best part is that Annabelle is staying home with the nanny and it’s so nice that she’s getting one-on-one attention for a while longer.

I only took eight weeks off and sometimes there is a small part of me that wishes I would have taken twelve but overall, I’m happy to be back at work and feeling as though I’m getting back to “real life”.  Because I knew that being at home with Annabelle was only short-term, it was almost like I needed to get back to work so that we could fully adjust to life with Annabelle.  We were living a beautiful dream for these past eight weeks (and I loved every moment) but now we’re adjusting to what things will really be like.

The big event for Annabelle this week was her two-month check up.  She’s 11 lbs, 15 oz and 24.5 inches long.  She’s in the 65th percentile for weight and 100th percentile for height.  Just as a reference she was 8 lbs, 4 oz and 21″ long when she was two weeks old.  Since she’s been born she’s gained about 4 lbs and grown 3 1/2 inches.  She’s a healthy little girl.

She also got her first round of immunization shots while she was at the doctor’s and did really well, she only had one big cry and then Dusty was there to pick her up and she calmed right down.  Her appointment was actually the day before I started back to work and the nice part was that for the rest of the day all she wanted to do was snuggle and didn’t mind cuddling with me.  I was able hold her as much as I wanted and snuggle, and she never fussed.

This week Annabelle also met her great-aunt Diane who came to visit from Indianapolis.  They had a great time chatting as you can see from the photo.

Annabelle is getting smarter and smarter as the weeks progress.  This month she’s made huge developmental leaps.  Her motor skills and sense are developing like crazy.  She’s also getting really good at holding up her head.  We’re making sure to do tummy time every day so that she keeps strengthening her neck muscles.  I’ve gotten all of her toys out for this age and we’ve been playing and talking with her as much as possible.  She loves watching the mobile above her bassinet.  It’s so adorable to see her laughing and smiling right up at the lights and dangling objects.  It’s crazy how I’m already thinking about how she’s developing and learning, and wanting to do everything I can to help her along.  It’s not all business though, we love cuddling and kissing her as much as possible!

A little over a month ago I wrote about a book I had read about getting your infant to sleep through the night.  The book is On Becoming Babywise: Giving Your Infant the Gift of Nighttime Sleep.  Way back then (only 5 weeks ago) I said “It was a great reference to how things could be if you had the perfect baby or the perfect parents but sadly she is not (although we adore her all the same) and neither are we.”  

Now, I’m really glad I read it because it’s been such a good reference on the cycle of feed-wake-sleep time and you don’t have to have the perfect baby or the perfect parents to make it work.  It just takes time.  I knew that we should feed Annabelle every 2 to 3 hours but this book really helped me (as well as Dusty) understand what to do in between.  Only within the last few weeks have we truly gotten on this cycle where she eats, stays awake for an hour and then sleeps between 1 and 2 hours before starting the cycle again but it was really awesome to see that it was happening and that we could help reinforce it.

When I first read Babywise they talked about having your infant sleep through the night starting around week 8 and I thought they were crazy but now that Annabelle is sleeping over half of her nights from 9pm to 6am, I’m feeling really good (as well as feeling very lucky).  I still wake up twice to pump but when I wake up in the morning I’m feeling rested and ready to start the day. Her naps aren’t always amazing but they’re getting better every week.  So amazing how things can change over the course of a month.  I still cross my fingers and hope that Annabelle will continue to be a good sleeper and that this isn’t just a fluke.